Death and Darkness
by Maxwell Alana
Summary: Zell thinks about his decision as he goes to visit Duo. Meanwhile, Duo makes his mind and wants to go home, and find Hilde. His wary state sends him in the direction of the Training Center. Will Zell catch up to him? (UPDATE; R+R PLEASE!)
1. The Destination

**Disclaimer**: I do not own neither Gundam Wing nor Final Fantasy 8. FF8 belongs to Squaresoft, while GW belongs to Bandai and Suncoast. Please do not sue me, I am but a poor and lonely warrior with many curiousities. x_x  
  
**Death and Darkness**  
by. Zell Dincht  
  
_Author's Note: If you haven't played the game, there will be spoilers coming along in the story. That is all. :D_  
  
"...............!"  
  
"On the orders of Sorceress Edea, we must claim that boy alive!"  
  
"... Duo?"  
  
"Get out of here, Hilde!"  
  
_Fithos .. Lusec .. Wecos .. Vinosec .._  
  
'That music .. It's haunting ...'  
  
".. Duo!"  
  
"I told you to get out of here!"  
  
He ran, hoping his diversion would give Hilde enough time to escape. His legs carried him down the metal piles of junk, and towards the edge of the cliff. Over the cliff, layed many jagged rocks, and eventually .. a body of water. More footsteps were heard. The soldiers followed quickly.  
  
_Fithos .. Lusec .. Wecos .. Vinosec .._  
  
'It's repeating .. over and over .. like a broken record ..'  
  
His amethyst eyes stared coldly at the soldiers who approached him. They all held strange devices which resembled a clash between and gun and a blade. 'Damnit!' he thought angrily. 'I don't have anything to help me out of this mess ..' Fumbling for anything, just as he predicted, nothing. Duo was completely unarmed. Backing up slowly, his foot touched the edge .. a crack of the cliff edge falling towards the bottom.  
  
(_swirling wisps of wind surround ..._)  
_  
Fithos .. Lusec .. Wecos .. Vinosec ..  
  
_"Don't fight it, dear God of Death .. praise it. The winds dance your fate, the music rewards your abilities ..," From a viewpoint in her mind, the possessed Sorceress Edea watched with a cruel grin on her face. "It won't be long ..."  
  
"Duo ..? Where are you?! I can't find you?"  
  
"Get rid of the girl ..!!"  
  
" ..NO! Hilde, run ..!"  
  
(_the wind grows darker .. colder .._)  
  
_Fithos .. Lusec .. Wecos .. Vinosec .._  
  
A soldier in the back turned around, seeing Hilde coming nearer at each moment. He brandished his gunblade, and charged towards her. Hilde never saw it coming, as the solder ran past her, the sword hitting her hard. The soldier charged foward, skidded to a halt, and aimed his gun. A ring of shots filled Duo's mind, as his eyes grew wider.  
  
(_the lightning crackles .. it grows yet colder .._)  
  
" ... Hilde ..."  
  
_Fithos .. Lusec .. Wecos .. Vinosec .._  
  
Hilde's eyes widened, as she fell to her knees. There was blood everywhere, except on her face, which was still pure .. yet very white. She hit the ground face first, a tear slipping out of her deathful eyes.  
  
"Duo ..."  
  
The soldier just stood there, the breeze growing cold, as he slowly walked past Hilde's body .. back to his position in line.  
  
(_the wisps spin further .. faster .._)  
  
'No ...'  
  
"We have you surrounded! Give up slowly, and we won't have to hurt you!"  
  
'No ...'  
  
_Fithos .. Lusec .. Wecos .. Vinosec ..  
  
_(_it glows .. slowly .. the power .. increasing .._)  
  
Duo's eyes glowed, his fists growing tighter. His rage builded. Hilde. Gone. Why? She did .. nothing. The front line soldiers armed their guns. They were pointed at him. His rage grew more.  
  
'I won't die like Hilde did ...'  
  
"Don't hold back .. hit him full on ..!" Edea hissed.  
  
The first wave fired off at him. Duo yelled with all his might, as the bullets bounced right off of his body. The aura around him, dark .. and deadly. The elemental powers of wind and lightning surrounded him. Shining with tears, Duo let his fists go, and ran towards the group of soldiers.  
  
'It wasn't her fault! She did nothing!'  
  
All of the soldiers aimed.  
  
'Hilde .. you had so much to look foward to!'  
  
Simultaneously .. their eyes narrowed.  
  
'All taken away .. because of me .. Well, no more.'  
  
And the shots rang.  
  
"NO MORE ..!!!"  
  
"Hard! Hit him hard! Sink him into our realm .." Edea cried out, as she held out her arms. Below the cliffs, a portal opened. Its vortex swirled darkly, welcoming anyone who dared entered its forbidden depths.  
  
_Fithos .. Lusec .. Wecos .. Vinosec ..  
  
_ The wave hit him hard. Bringing his arms in front of him to shield, Duo felt himself being pushed back. He looked up slowly .. seeing the bullets hit him, threatening to break the aura that formed around him. He wanted to charge up at them, but he couldn't. He felt .. restrained ...  
  
"This may assist them." Edea performed the magic spell .. Silence. At the energy swirled into the other world, it slowly disabled Duo from performing anything else. Eventually .. the aura broke, as Duo took a step back from the force. Another step back.   
  
.. And another.  
  
"... AHHHHH!"  
  
The cliff was no longer there. What was left, was the air, where Duo fell. And lower he continued, anticipating the jagged rocks to spear him through. Then all of a sudden ..  
  
... Nothing. Nothing .. but .. **Darkness**.  
  
(_to be continued_...)  
  



	2. Reality Check

**Chapter 2**:  
  
".............."  
  
"Yeeaaaaaaah! That was a good battle! What did you think, Squall?"  
  
".. I guess so. Let's get back to Garden."  
  
Zell's shoulders sank as Squall turned around and headed in the other direction. '_Man!_' He thought unhappily, '_Is he **ever**_ _excited for **anything**?_' Dragging his feet across the grass slowly, Zell sighed to himself. Squall continued to walk ahead, oblivious that Zell even existed in the moment. He was so deep in thought ... '_Probably about that girl back in Timber_' Zell mused as he stared at Squall. He continued to walk behind his partner, until his feet stepped on something .. that _moved_ ...  
  
"What the hell ..?!"  
  
"What's the matter?" Squall called back, without stopping. He slowed down his pace, just in case there was trouble.  
  
Zell didn't say anything. Crouching down, he noticed that he stepped on a hand. Looking further up, that hand had a limb connected to it. And that limb .. had a body. Standing quickly, he moved towards the body. Whoever this person was, was either dead, or close to being it. Bending down to one knee, Zell thought at first that this person was female .. seeing the long braided hair. As he turned the body to lay on its back, Zell found it to be a he.  
  
"Zell?"  
  
This guy was alive. Gasping for breath, and still unconscious, but nevertheless .. **alive**. '_He must be in great pain ..._' Zell worried. '_We should get him back to Garden fast .._' Grabbing both of his arms, Zell picked up the young man, hoisting him up onto his back. "There we go! Just hang on buddy .. we'll get you some help." Looking at Squall, he said quickly. "Let's get back to Garden, now."   
  
"Who is that?" Squall stopped and turned around.  
  
"Someone I found here. He's hurt, _bad_ .. Squall. Let's get back."  
  
"Can he be t--"  
  
"Let's GO!" Zell was primarily concerned for him. The young man behind him coughed and wheezed. Not waiting for a response, Zell ran past Squall, towards the Garden. Squall's eyes followed Zell with a reaction of shock. His mind still was full of suspicion; Squall trusted few. And this man was one whom Squall didn't trust. '_Why would he be laying in the middle of Balamb? What purpose has he here?_' '_No time to think it over. Let's go back_' His mind argued. Nodding slowly to himself, Squall ran after Zell.  
  


*** * * * * * * *  
  
**

"Duo..."  
  
"Just hang on, Hilde. You are going to be fine ..."  
  
"Soldiers .. Sorceresses .. Duo .."  
  
Holding onto her hand, Quatre placed another on her forehead. His aqua eyes were clouded with anger and confusion. The wounds that Hilde sustained were of a gun and a sword. '_Lucky to be alive ..._' Quatre thought. She went through many surgeries, and still had more to go. Heavily bandaged, primarily around her abdominal region, Hilde had been unconscious for the past twenty hours. There was silence, carried on by the slow drips of transferring blood, and the oxygen entering Hilde's nostrils. This had felt like a repeat of when Hilde escaped from White Fang to give Duo information on the two Mobile Suits. But, from what Quatre remembered .. Hilde had more life in her then .. than now. She was paler, and struggling to just keep awake.  
  
"How is she?"  
  
Turning around, Quatre saw his long time lover, and best friend, Trowa. The thin, green eyes of _Nanashi_ wandered from Quatre's face to that of Hilde's face. "She looks better." He answered himself quietly. The two had been visiting Germany for political reasons, and Quatre found it polite to visit Duo before his return to Saudi Arabia. Trowa, of course, was his bodyguard. On their arrival, did they notice the wreckage, and the filling crowd. The ambulance was dispatched; a woman called after hearing gunshots. Pushing past everyone, and approaching the stretcher, Quatre then saw her. The blood on the metal parts, and on the dirt was immense. A question floated on his mind ever since. _Where was Duo_ ..? Both had dreaded that he might have fallen from the cliff nearby. There was no body ever found. It was almost like he disappeared from existance. "The others are here, Quatre. They want to pay a visit to Hilde."  
  
".. Alright," Quatre answered, as he stood up. Trowa placed an arm around Quatre, and they slowly exited. The doors opened, as Heero and Wufei stood. Their usual hard, cold faces .. **weren't there**.  
  


*** * * * * * * *  
  
**

A man hit the ground hard. He was dead. A darkness surrounded Edea as she loomed over the other soldiers who were sent to recover Duo. "What do you mean that you don't _have him_ ..?"  
  
"As we returned back to our world, he wasn't in the same region. He could be _anywhere_. Possibly dead...," a Galbadian soldier replied nervously. He never wished this position, but angering the sorceress would be fatal. '_I am only a year older than that man .._' the soldier thought sadly, while looking at the dead body.. '_He never had the chance to outlive me ..._' As his eyes verted back to meet with Edea's gaze. She stood in front of him, intimidating the young soldier.  
  
"For your sake," she breathed, "he'd better **be alive**." Looking towards all of the returned Galbadian soldiers, Edea announced, "Dismissed, for now. Tomorrow, we shall search for the boy. That search shall not yield until **he is found**. Do you hear me?" The soldiers nodded simultaneously and quickly dispersed. Edea turned around, and headed back to her throne. '_His power .. it will help greatly. Death threatens to swallow his very soul. It is so powerful .. much more power .. than **Adel** .. possibily .._' Edea laughed darkly, coldly. "To take over his mind and body and combine it with my own powers! I shall become unstopable!" Her voice echoed around the room loudly. Outside of her room, the two Galbadian soldiers listened involuntarily, and shivered.  


  
*** * * * * * * *  
  
**

'_... Where am I?_'  
  
Opening his eyes slowly, Duo cringed to the bright light that he woke up to. He felt so very weary. Hardly being able to move, the braided Shinigami focused his eyes, and looked around. The room look strangely familiar to that of a nurse's office in a school. In attempt to curl on of his hands into a fist, Duo yelped into a .. mask? Wisps of oxygen were entering his mouth, as his eyes looked down to his left hand. There was a bandage wrapped around it. He heard voices not too far off, getting slightly greater in level. Pretending to still be asleep, Duo closed his eyes, as the door opened.  
  
"Are you insane?!"  
  
"What's so wrong about that idea?"  
  
"Zell, he could be an enemy! Enrolling him into our school would be pure insanity!"  
  
'_Enrolling .. into their school?_' Duo listened on.  
  
"C'mon! I bet Headmaster Cid wouldn't mind!"  
  
"I don't know ..."  
  
"Squall? Have you anything to say? So far, Selphie's been giving me a headache."  
  
"Whatever."  
  
'_Heh .. sounds like Heero ..._'  
  
"Alright! All of you, out, out! We have an ill patient here who needs his rest! Your continuous chatting is not going to help! Hurry now! Go!"  
  
"Ack! Yes Dr. Kadowaki ..."  
  
And then there was a momentary silence. Feeling it safe to open his eyes, that was what Duo did. But as he opened them, he stared into the eyes of an elder woman, about in her early 40s. He jumped slightly in surprise, but calmed after another intake of breath.  
  
"So you're awake! At least we know that you weren't hopeless in surviving, being all by yourself in Balamb. Those monsters out there could have killed you if they wanted to. Thank God Zell took you in just in time." Dr. Kadowaki expressed her relief.  
  
'_Balamb ..? Monsters?_'  
  
"Zell's been worried about you. Once you recover .. he might have you in this school, and you'll get to meet him. Until then, you need to relax. " The doctor chuckled. "Don't get up at all while I am not here. You'll regret it. You hurt yourself pretty bad. The headmaster will want to speak with you too." Dr. Kadowaki took his bloodpressure, while asking, "So .. what is **your** name, young man?"  
  
"D-" Duo coughed, then pulled down the mask with his free hand. "Duo. Duo Maxwell. D-do you know if a Hilde came with me ..?"  
  
"Oh dear, were you not alone?" The doctor looked worried, writing down Duo's number. "Zell only found you, and you **alone**. He didn't mention anything about a woman."  
  
Closing his eyes, Duo felt ready to cry. She _was_ dead. Those damned soldiers attacked her for no reason. What did they want **him** for? Were they here? Who was this **sorceress**? Too weak to continue being conscious, Duo slowly fell asleep once again. Dr. Kadowaki placed his mask back on, and sighed gently as she wiped away a tear from his face. Turning around, she turned off the lights and left.  
  
'_Squall .. Zell .. Selphie .. who **are** they? Sorceress Edea. Who **is** she? And that music that I heard earlier .. so .. ha .. haunting. **Where am I** ......'  
  
_(_to be continued ..._)  
  
  



	3. Thoughts and Doubts

Title: Death and Darkness (3/?)  
  
By: Alana Maxwell  
  
Rating: PG-13 (nothing really happening .. yet. =) )  
  
Pairings: Implied 3+4 (sometimes), 1+5? .. I'm working for a 2xZell. ^_^;;, and others.  
  
Disclaimers: I don't own GW or FF8. I want to own them. 'Specially Zell and Duo. ;-;  
  
Warnings: None. Unless you don't like implied shounen ai. It'll get stronger later. But, no real warnings here. ^_^;;  
  
  
  
Heero and Wufei stepped into the room just as Trowa and Quatre took their leave. It was a long period of silence, even as they sat down and looked at Hilde's still form. Wufei looked at Heero for most of the visit, noting how his fists were clenched into tight balls. His eyes were moist. They were very noticeable even as they stared down at the bed. Wufei kept his hands together on the bars of the bed. He was worried over Hilde's condition, and very curious over how she got those injuries. His eyes were bloodshot. He was quite stressed, Wufei was. Heero was as well. In fact, Wufei had to restrain Heero during the questioning by the police. They asked if Duo _could have attacked Hilde_. Heero was very protective of his best friend, and argued angrily that Duo would never do such a thing. '_He wouldn't .. I know Duo wouldn't do such a thing ...._'  
  
"What are you thinking about, Heero?" Wufei asked, breaking the silence.  
  
"... Duo."  
  
"We'll find him, Heero .. I'm sure of it."  
  
Something told Heero though, that Duo wouldn't be found. And the fight to eject that thought was draining his stoic emotions, slowly, and torturously. Finding nothing to punch in the room, he stood up and walked into the patient bathroom, where the distinct sound of a wall being punched was heard, as well as the words, "Damnit!" being uttered over and over again.  
  


*** * * * * * * ***  


  
'_Ugh ...'_  
  
It must have been around two o'clock in the morning. Zell opened his eyes, unable to sleep at all. Running a hand through his face, he sat up, and looked around. The room was pitch black, except for a small night light at the corner of his room, illuminating the area very dimly. He groped for a pair of his pants, and slipped into them. Grabbing his shirt from a hanger above his bed, Zell slipped it over him, then stood up. '_I can't sleep .. I should go check on that guy. I hope the guards let me through .. they can be a hassle at night .._' He put on his shoes, then ran a hand through his now messy blonde spikes. Looking into the mirror, he grinned, then left his dormitory in a lazy fashion.  
  
'_......... wonder if today's hotdogs are in stock yet...._' *wide grin*  
  
(_sizzle .._)  
  
'_What the ..?_'  
  
Duo woke to the sound of something leaking. As he was still somewhat groggy, he didn't notice that his oxygen mask had a small hole in it, and the air was leaking out. After a few minutes though .. his eyes widened, while he pulled the mask from his face quickly .. gulping in large amounts of air. Surprisingly, no dizziness, nor much pain hit him like earlier. His hand still stung at movement, but otherwise, he felt fine. Looking down, he found himself in a new set of clothes. It wasn't hospital clothes -- '_Thank God_', Duo thought -- but like a school uniform. Looking above the bed, he saw his own clothes, dirty .. grimy, and bloody. '_These clothes are strange, but .. comfortable. I like them .. somewhat .._'  
  
(_sizzle, spark! .._ )  
  
That sound make Duo jump slightly. He was so unnerved by everything, who could blame him? Looking down, he had found his source to all that noise. His hand had built that energy that he used back when the soldiers went after him. Lifting his hand up (the unbandaged one), Duo stared at it. The powers were quite immense, and he could hardly control them. It almost gave him strength .. more than he normally had. Almost subconsciously, Duo swung his legs over the bed, and pushed himself up .. ignoring the pain from his other hand. He slipped into a pair of shoes, not bothering to look at them, and left the room. Dr. Kadowaki slept peacefully in the next room, not hearing anything. '_I need to get out of here. I must find someone .. Heero, Wufei .. **anyone**!_'  
  
He walked down the hallway into the main quarters of the Garden. But standing in front of him was a guard. His hand still sizzling and crackling with energy, Duo only meant to tap him on the shoulder. As his hand came in contact with the guard's shoulder, there was a crackling sound. Duo pulled his hand back, as the guard fell back with a grunt, his eyes widened with shock. Getting down on his knees, Duo checked his pulse, and winced. '_Dead ..._' Looking around, Duo got to his feet, and ran forward, hoping no one would see him. He stopped just passed the stairs. He noticed other people leaving the area where no guard was posted. They looked tired and quite excited. '_Maybe that's the way out!_' He thought excitedly, as he ran his way in that direction. Then, all of a sudden, he stopped. '_Better not run .. they might think it suspicious .. I'll act like a regular student!_' Duo then walked normally towards the hallway, just missing the directory which pointed the front gate to the south.  
  
"Aw c'mon! Can't I just ask the cafeteria women to reserve some for me?!"  
  
"Student #247 .. Zell Dincht. You should be in bed now! I've heard you have a SeeD mission in the morning! And no! You cannot ask for hotdogs at this time!"  
  
Zell scuffed his shoes against the ground, and frowned. "But can't you just let it go for once?"  
  
"Absolutely not!"  
  
"Damnit!" Turning around, Zell reluctantly headed further down towards the infirmary. A few of the students passed by him, conversing about their battles in the training area. At first, he wasn't really interested, but something caught him, forcing Zell to stop.  
  
"Did you ever see that student before?"  
  
"Nope! He looks kinda cute though .. okay okay real cute!"  
  
"You think all boys are cute, Zira! What I found strange is why he's going to train. He looke injured enough as it is."  
  
"Don't you think his _braid's_ cool? Why don't you get a braid?"  
  
"No way! Didn't you listen to me?"  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Er .. nevermind ..."  
  
'_Can't be him .. can it?_' Zell watched the children head off to the dormitory, then picked up speed to the infirmary. He stopped by the entrance .. seeing the guard lying there .. _dead_. "Oh man .. did he? Could he have ..? Was suggesting that he ..?" At a loss for words, Zell dashed into the infirmary, fearing the worse for Dr. Kadowaki. As he entered, he looked around, only noticing her to be peacefully sleeping. ".. Good. I-I better find that guy .." Turning around, Zell ran out, and headed towards the Training Center. Upon his entrance, he noticed that Duo was most definately in there, as more whispered conversations of an injured, braided, new student was in there. He hoped that he would find him .. before the giant T-Rex did.  
  
(_to be continued .._)  
  
  
  
  



End file.
